If you are looking for gorgeous areas of jungle, romantic eco lodges and the famous cloud forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica in Central America is the place for you.

Here, you can also travel to the beaches, enjoy the rolling surf in Salsa Brava and Tamarindo, hike volcanoes, visit coffee haciendas in the highlands of Central Valley and check out colonial architecture in cities like San Jose!

Unfortunately, Costa Rica has a high violent crime rate though this is often drug related and does not involve foreigners.

Scams and petty crime are however common in tourist areas, so read on to learn how to protect yourself here!

That will prevent your cards’ details from being skimmed by thieves with a mobile RFID reader / scanner.

3. Credit card fraud

How it works:

This can be an issue in Costa Rica if you pay for items in a small, less reputable shop, bar or restaurant with a credit card.

When it’s time to pay, the seller will bring you a hand held credit card machine.

They will then watch you key in your details and will memorize your PIN number.

When they take the machine back to the cash register to process the transaction they will then use your card (which is still in the machine) and will input your PIN number again to make further transactions without your knowledge.

What to do:

Avoid using hand held credit or debit card machine in a shop or restaurant if possible.

In the event that you have to use one of these machines, make sure to conceal your PIN number from staff and do not let them take your card out of your sight.

If they insist on taking the machine back to the main terminal then follow them and complete your transaction while standing next to them.

4. Street money exchange

How it works:

Often the source of counterfeit currency in Costa Rica is street money changers that have both counterfeit US dollars and Costa Rican colon.

Besides peddling fake currency, these shady money changers have various tricks to overcharge you too, such as:

Charging an additional, unadvertised commission.

Giving fewer bills hoping you don’t check.

What to do:

It is very difficult to tell if bills are fake by touching or looking at them.

As such it is best to avoid changing money at street money changers to reduce the risk of being handed counterfeit currency.

Always change money in banks, at ATMs or at large reputable hotels. They may have a less favorable rate of exchange but the money is most likely not going to be fake.

5. Timeshare scam

Image source: bookvip.com

How it works:

You might find street touts trying to lure you to a timeshare presentation with free meals and drinks.

Should you accept, you will be brought to a “boiler room” subject to hard sell over a few hours.

What to do:

Decline the offers, nothing is free.

If you do accept, then eat / drink and leave, but this at the expense of a few hours of your vacation time.

However, if you are really interested in timeshare apartments, only commit after conducting extensive due diligence, not through a tout on the street.

D. KEY SAFETY ISSUES

This is not meant to be a fear mongering exercise, as most visits are trouble free as long as you exercise some common sense.

Volcanic eruption: avoid areas downwind and river valleys downstream of the volcano, do not drive in heavy ash fall, seek shelter (if no need to evacuate) or high ground if no shelter (crouch down away from volcano, cover head with arms).